'Big Brother' finalists plan to enjoy Tech game, club outings

The only reason that Lane Elenburg has not yet signed with an agent — more than one has called since he left the “Big Brother” house on Sept. 15 — is because he has not had enough time.

Elenburg, a Texas Tech football player from 2005 to 2007, earned second-place cash on “Big Brother” after agreeing to join an alliance with fellow members Enzo Palumbo, Matt Hoffman and (eventual winner) Hayden Moss.

Since then, he has allied himself with an organization that handles all of the better known reality show contestants, from “American Idol” to “Big Brother” and any other that comes to mind. That’s what has been keeping Elenburg busy; he makes appearances at benefits across the country on practically every weekend.

This weekend, however, he made a personal choice.

Someone at Tech’s athletic department noticed that Elenburg was wearing something with the Tech Double-T on practically every episode of “Big Brother.” He received a formal invitation from Tech to attend Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. football game pitting Tech’s Red Raiders against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Actually, he will be doing a bit more than that.

Elenburg will be introduced as he presents the game ball at midfield, and stay on the Tech sideline; he will enjoy the game’s second half with three friends — fellow Big Brother contestants Palumbo, Moss and Britney Haynes — from a vantage point inside Tech Chancellor Kent Hance’s suite.

The reality show contestants also will interact with fans. All four will make appearances from approximately 8 p.m. until just before 2 a.m. tonight and Saturday at Bash Riprock’s, 2419 Main St.

Winners Moss and Elenburg were members of a four-man alliance conceived by Palumbo.

Haynes was invited to travel with them; the fourth alliance member, Matt Hoffman, was voted off.

The alliance was formed during the show’s second episode. Taking a risk in trusting one another, members of the alliance quickly began calling themselves The Brigade.

Elenburg, who turned 25 on Oct. 10, told The A-J that he loved playing for coach Mike Leach. He said, “Obviously, the man is a genius football coach, and I loved every minute I played for him.

“I wasn’t here during his ordeal, though.”

During the show, Brigade members agreed to visit each other’s hometowns.

“This weekend is the first,” said Elenburg, who actually is from Decatur, but said he wants to show friends where he played football and hung out in Lubbock.

Most weekends find him “shaking hands and signing pictures. Sometimes it is a big benefit, and sometimes they want us to show up at parties and just sort of hang around. Like next week we’re in Houston, and the week after that in Las Vegas for something.”

Elenburg said that he was not even able to tell his family he had been cast in “Big Brother” until “the day I left for Los Angeles.”

He missed watching sports, but the house guests were entirely isolated: no televisions, no telephones of any kind, no radios, newspapers or magazines.

Staying there for 75 days demanded will power. Elenburg recalled, “It was absolute hell inside that house. You had to be constantly alert. You know that everyone is lying to you. And whatever you tell one person, he or she is going to repeat it to others.

“I was stressed out every second. It is one big, long mental game.”

Elenburg’s sister, Loren Elenburg-Liner, made the connections with Mike Fuqua, who manages Bash Riprock’s, a club popular with the Tech crowd for more than 20 years.

He said that the four guests plan to sign autographs. “There also will be plenty of time for them to just bum around and play some games. And they said they want to listen to some live music.”

The Local Nobodys will play pop cover tunes tonight, and the Jackson Lee Brooks Band already had been contracted to play Texas country music Saturday.

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Welcome back to Lubbock, Lane! Here's hoping the Raiders DO pull this one out! A really BIG GAME for Tech. Enzo............you be sure to charm the folks in Lubbock! If Lubbock doesn't LOVE YOU as America does, somethin' is really wrong! Enzo, you're the DUDE! Seriously, you shine. I really appreciated your love for all your fellow Contestants during this Season's episodes. And, for Britney...........Go Hogs! 'signin' out now, nmredraider1 in Albuquerque.................GO TECH!

I applaud Lane for representing Tech on the show (when he wore his Red Raiders cap) but sadly I wanted Enzo to win. Enzo had such a great personality and reminded me a little of Joey on "Friends"...I know "Big Brother" is the cheesiest show in all of reality TV because the roommates are either arguing or "shacking up" with each other most of the time. That show is so friggin' silly! I'm glad the show isn't "scripted" or else it would be the dumbest show ever. You da man, Lane! Give your beloved Red Raiders a W this Saturday!